Anomalous Transparency of Water-Air Interface for Low-Frequency Sound

Abstract

Sound transmission through a water-air interface is normally weak because of a strong mass density contrast. We show that the transparency of the interface increases dramatically at low frequencies. Almost all acoustic energy emitted by a sufficiently shallow monopole source under water is predicted to be radiated into air. Increased transparency at lower frequencies is due to the increasing role of inhomogeneous waves. For sources symmetric with respect to a horizontal plane, transparency is further increased by a destructive interference of direct and surface-reflected waves under water. The phenomenon of anomalous transparency has significant geophysical and biological implications.